The present invention relates to a sliding operating device which can be suitably used to set a parameter or the like, corresponding to user's operation, by moving an operating-position setting section (moving member) in response to operation of a sliding-type operator and detecting a position of the operating-position setting section.
Examples of the conventionally-known sliding operating devices for use in mixing consoles etc. include the one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3273422. The disclosed sliding operating device integrally includes a lever having a knob portion and a slider holder for holding slider pieces opposed to a resistor board. The lever and slider holder are slidably supported on guide shafts. Through manual operation of the knob portion or through driving by a motor, the slider holder moves so that a parameter or the like is set in accordance with a position of the slider pieces relative to the resistor board.
Further, in the sliding operating device disclosed in the No. 3273422 patent, one side of a motor drive unit is superposed on one cover half, the other side of the motor drive unit is superposed on the other cover half, and the two cover halves are secured together by means of screws. In such a state, the resistor board and almost all component parts of the motor drive unit are accommodated within the two cover halves, but the knob portion of the lever and guide hole of the lever project through an upper end gap of the two cover halves. Blindfold plate is inserted in the guide hole to cover the upper end gap of the two cover halves, and holders are screwed to left and right side surfaces of the cover halves so that the blindfold plate is fixed at its opposite ends to the holders.
With the conventionally-known sliding operating devices, the knob portion to be moved by a human operator projects beyond a console panel, and thus, it is absolutely necessary to form grooves in the upper surface of the sliding operating device and console panel surface along the moving direction of the knob portion. Thus, there is a need to take some anti-dust measures so that interior mechanisms and detection accuracy of the device are not influenced even when dust enters through the grooves.
With the arrangements disclosed in the No. 3273422 patent, it is possible to prevent dust, having entered through the grooves, from directly falling onto the motor drive unit; however, if dust accumulates in the interior, there is a possibility of the detection accuracy etc. being influenced. Further, with the disclosed arrangements, the guide hole must be formed in the lever to permit passage of the blindfold plate, and thus, if dust accumulates between the guide hole and the blindfold plate, sliding operability of the device would be adversely influenced. Further, the disclosed device presents the problems that the lever, requiring formation of the guide hole, and the mechanism composed of the lever and blindfold plate tend to be complicated in construction, so that the operability would suffer from aged deterioration and the necessary cost would increase.